Collapsible carton



C. T. OSTERBERG COLLAPSIBLE CARTON Sept. 10, 1957 Filed April 23, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 \NVENTOR CARL T.OSTERBERG ATTORNEYS p 0, 1957 c. T. OSTERBERG 2,805,811

COLLAPSIBLE CARTON Filed April 23, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CARL T. OSTERBERG ATTORNEYS United States Patent 9 COLLAPSIBLE CARTON Carl T. Osterberg, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application April 23, 1954, Serial No. 425,161

1 Claim. (Cl. 229-36) This invention appertains to collapsible or folding boxes and cartons of the type in which the box blank is cut from a single sheet of cardboard and then, thereafter, folded and set up at its point of use.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a cardboard box, in which the blank thereof can be quickly folded into its box form around an article by a clerk, and one in which the various parts thereof are so interlocked that the necessity of employing sealing tape, cord or the like to hold the box against opening movement during carrying is eliminated.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide a folding box which can be quickly opened by a housewife without danger of tearing the box and spread out flat on a surface whereby to expose the entire contents of the box, such as a cake, to view so that the cake can be conveniently cut without lifting the same off of the bottom wall of the box, and whereby the box can be easily re-folded and closed for preserving any remaining portion of a cake. 7

A further important object of my invention is the provision of novel side wings carried by the top wall of the box for firmly engaging the side walls of the box so as to effectively brace the side walls against collapsing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a folding cardboard box of the above character, which will be economical to manufacture, one that will employ a minimum amount of sheet material and one which can be placed upon the market at a reasonable price.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the box in its set up position;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the blank from which the box is formed;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the box in its partially set up position and just prior to the folding of the front, rear and top cover wall;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 and showing the box in its partially completed folded position and just prior to the swinging down of the top cover wall;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the top cover wall swung down with the interlocking flaps ready to be swung in position, and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 5 and showing the interlocking flaps in their locked position and the bracing wings over the side walls the view being shown partly broken away and in section to illustrate the engagement of the interlocking flaps with other parts of the box.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter B generally indicates the improved folding and collapsible box. The entire box B is struck from a single blank 10 of sheet material as best shown in Figure 2.

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This blank is preferably die cut and includes a bottom wall 11 on which is formed on its marginaledges side walls 12 and 13 and front and rearwalls 14 and 15. The blank is preferably scored, or otherwise weakened at the point of connection of the side, front and rear walls with the bottom wall 11, as indicated by the reference character 16, so that these walls can be easily and quickly folded up at right angles to the bottom wall. The front edges of the side Walls 12 and 13 have formed thereon front wall flaps 17 and 18 which lie on opposite sides of the front wall 14 when the blank is in its spread out position, as shown in Figure 2, and these flaps are separated entirely from the front wall 14 by slits 19. The points of connection of the front wall flaps 17 and 18 with the side walls 12 and 13 can be weakened by score lines or the like, as indicated by the reference character 20 so as to facilitate the folding of these flaps as will later appear. The rear edges of the side walls 12 and 13 have formed thereon rear wall flaps 21 and 22 and these rear wall flaps lie on opposite sides of the rear wall 15 when the blank is in its spread out position, and the flaps 21 and 22 are entirely separated from the rear wall 15 by slits 23. At the points of connection of the rear wall flaps 21 and 22 with the side walls 12 and 13, the blank is weakened as at 24, to facilitate the folding of the rear wall flaps, as will also later appear. It is to be noted that the rear wall flaps 21 and 22 are of a slightly greater length than the front wall flaps 17 and 18 so that when the rear wall flaps are in their set up position the inner ends of these rear wall flaps will overlap and the ends of the rear wall flaps are provided with slits 25 to permit the interlocking of the inner ends of these flaps. The slits 19 extend laterally beyond the score lines 16, so that the front wall 14.wi11 be of a greater length than the rear wall and project beyond the side walls 12 and 13 when the box is folded.

Now by referring to Figure 3, it can be seen that initially, the side walls 12 and 13 are folded up at right angles to the bottom wall, after which the rear wall flaps 21 and 22 are folded inward and are interlocked to partially form the box, after which the front wall flaps can be folded inwardly toward one another. When the box is utilized for holding a cake, pie or the like, such article is placed directly on the upper surface of the bottom wall 11 prior to the folding of the box.

The forward front edge of the front wall 14 has formed thereon a top flap 26 which extends the entire width of the box and at the point of connection of the flap 26 with the wall 14 the blank is weakened, as at 27 so as to permit the folding of the top wall flap 26 as will also appear. Formed on the ends of the top wall flap 26 are triangular shaped folding tabs 28 and these tabs are joined with the top flap 26 along weakened lines 29 so that these tabs can also be conveniently folded. 7

Now referring again to the folding of the box and more particularly to Figure 4, it can be seen that the front wall is folded up in front of the front wall flaps 17 and 18, after which the top wall flap 26 is folded down over the top of the box and this flap 26 forms, in effect, a top wall abutment ledge, as will also later appear. The tabs 28 are bent rearwardly at right angles down over the side walls 12 and 13.

Formed on the longitudinal edge of the rear wall 15 is the top cover wall 30 and this wall 30 is of the same size and configuration as the bottom wall 11. At the point of juncture of the top cover wall 30 with the rear wall 15, the blank is weakened by a line 31 to facilitate the folding of this top wall. Formed on the side edges of the top wall 30 are triangular shaped side wall bracing wings 32 and 33, and these wings extend along the entire side edges of the top cover wall and gradually decrease ment with the rear wall flaps 21 and 22, the top cover wall 30'is folded down over the body of the box into engagement with the flap 26 and this flap, as previously set forth, forms a ledge or abutment for the top cover wall. The Wings 32 and 33 are now folded down, as

'best shown in Figure 5, with the locking flaps 35 and 36 bent down at right angles to the wings, so that as the bracing wings are bent down the locking flaps 35 and 36 can be inserted under the flap 26 and between the front wall 14 and the front wall flaps 17 and 18. As best shown in Figure 6, these locking flaps 35 and 36 engage the forward edges of the tabs 23 and interlock therewith.

The wings 32 and 33 brace the sides of the box and add rigidity to the entire box and the locking flaps 35 and 36 not only serve as means for holding the wings 32 and 33 against the side walls 12 and 13, but to also effectively lock the box and prevent the accidental opening movement of the top cover wall 30.- Thus, when the box is set up and folded, inadvertent opening of the box is prevented and the necessity of providing sealing tape, cord, or the like is eliminated.

In view of the fact that the front wall 14 extends slightly beyond the side walls 12 and 13, the ends of the front wall act as a guide to facilitate the insertion of the flaps 35 and 36 between the fronttwall and the front 'wall flaps 17 and 18.

and 33 and the swinging back of the top wall, after which the front and rear walls will readily swing down to the spread position, and the side walls can then be spread out. This exposes the contents of the box to full View and where the box is being used for cakes or pies, the cake or pie can be easily cut into slices, without the necessity of lifting the same from the box and obviously, the box can be readily refolded by the housewife to house any remaining portion of a cake or pie.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

A box formed from a single blank sheet of material comprising a bottom wall, side, front and rear wall; front and rear Wall flaps formed on the outer end of the side wall and extending at right angles to said side wall and adapted to lie within and in abutting relation to the front and rear walls, a relatively small front top flap formed on the outer edge of said front wall and extending partially over the upper edges of the side walls and front Wall flaps, triangular tabs carried by said front top flap at the side edges thereof and lying parallel to said side walls, a top cover wall formed on the outer edge of the rear wall and extending entirely over the upper edges of the side walls, front and rear wall flaps, and said front top flap; side wall bracing wings formed on the side edges of the top cover wall at right angles to said top wall and in engagement with the outer surface of said side walls, and locking tabs formed on the forward edges of said wings extending at right angles thereto andpositioned between the front wall and the front wall flaps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,953,896 Glass Apr. 3, 1934 1,992,087 Miller Feb. 19, 1935 2,169,065 Cole Aug. 8, 1939 2,297,987 Ryerson Oct. 6, 1942 2,552,253 Broeren Sept. 12, 1959 

